Owning a car can be expensive, but there are some simple things you can do to keep your costs to a minimum. Here’s how you can keep the costs of current and future cars as low as possible.

Keep Your Vehicle Maintained

It is always more economical to keep your car in good condition, give it regular check-ups, and ensure that you take care to maintain it properly. If you do this, your repair costs over the lifetime of the vehicle will be minimal. Of course, some vehicles are more prone to having issues than others, and so it will never be fully within your control. However, as long as you are vigilant in identifying and fixing issues, you can easily maximise your vehicle’s lifespan.

Review Your Insurance Options

Even if you already have a great deal on your car insurance, it is worth checking periodically to see if anything better is available. Price comparison websites like Quotezone.co.uk are a great place to start, as their site doesn’t just enable you to compare car insurance packages; you can also find other types of insurance on there. They also have more specialised car insurance options such as car insurance for teachers. If you are a teacher, then car insurance for teachers is a great way of saving money. As Quotezone puts it, “Insurers recognise teaching as one of the lower risk occupations for car insurance, which means car insurance for teachers often works out cheaper.”

Instead of just automatically renewing your insurance, take the time to see what else is around. You might be surprised by the extra value that you can get by spending just a little bit of time looking at your options.

If you have a commercial vehicle, you might want to check out van insurance compare, who're even able to cover your tools. They also have specialist insurance policies for minibus drivers, plasterers and couriers.

Fuel Economy

Filling up is one of the most significant costs of owning a vehicle. You should consider the fuel
economy of any car before you purchase it. Don’t be afraid to spend more on a car upfront if it means that you will get much better mileage out of it in the long run.

Irrespective of the vehicle that you are driving, shopping around to see what prices are available at different petrol stations near you is also an easy way of saving money.

Parking Problems

Depending on where you live in the UK, parking is either a simple, almost meditative affair, or it is like being in one of Dante’s circles of Hell (whichever one has the civil engineers). Not only do you have to find a parking space, but some places also require you to have a permit while also apparently doing everything they can to disguise the tiny little signs that alert you to that fact.

If you’re lucky, you’ll have a shopping centre nearby that offers you cheap parking and access to everything you need. But parking is an increasingly expensive affair in the UK, especially with the
proliferation of private parking spaces. If you are willing to walk from your vehicle to your destination, then you have many more options. Not only that, but you will be keeping fit and
keeping your costs down.

Owning and running a car doesn’t have to be expensive. Try some of these tips and see how much you can save.